Page 71 of Boss and Brat

“Not leaving you no matter how bad you get.” Carter grinned.

“I can get really bad.”

“Then I’ll spank you over my knee.”

“Really? Maybe I’ll be bad tomorrow.”

“I’ll remember you want to be spanked. I could spank you in the mornings before you do anything bad.”

Ethan rolled into a ball laughing. “Oh, please, Boss Carter, wait until I’m bad.”

Carter pulled him closer to him again. “Where were you all my life?”

“Growing up for you.”

“Stay here, I’m going to get us a soda.”

“Okay.”

Carter hurried out of the bedroom, checked the blinds, and both doors before he went to the kitchen and pulled out two sodas. He returned to the bed and handed one to Ethan.

They both sat up in bed, opening their soda cans.

“I love kissing you, Ethan.”

“My hookups never kissed me like you did. Never kissed me at all. And I never kissed anyone either. You’re the first man to kiss me.”

“What about women? Girls?”

“Well, I wasn’t talking about them. But when I was a teen, I dated church girls. I didn’t dare date guys. Unless I wanted to be murdered.”

“Did you kiss them?”

“I did more than kiss.”

“Why did you switch to men?”

“It wasn’t like that. When I got away from Foggy Basin, I wasn’t bound by rules. I did exactly what I wanted.”

“Did you know you were gay before college?”

“I always knew but I tried to talk myself into being straight. Then the first time I was with a man, I saw the difference. I knew I couldn’t be with girls anymore.”

“I’m a little different. I knew who I was and knew that I would not be accepted by my family. I never dated women. No interest.”

“Did you ever consider coming out in Texas?”

He shook his head. “You’re the first person I came out to and that’s because you asked. Of course, it’s so much easier in gay bars. You just do it.”

“Why did you come out to me?”

“When you trusted me by coming out to me, it complicated things. But it also made me feel safe to trust you. I wanted you, but I didn’t know what you wanted.”

“So, my father didn’t add I was gay in his file?”

“Nope. He apparently doesn’t know.”

“I thought—”